


Birthmarks: Aveline and Donnic

by TheBearMuse



Series: Allison and Davyn Hawke AU [2]
Category: Dragon Age II
Genre: F/M, Gen, mentions Female Hawke/Sebastian Vael and Male Hawke/Fenris
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-09
Updated: 2014-05-09
Packaged: 2018-01-24 02:44:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1588718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBearMuse/pseuds/TheBearMuse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone is born with their soulmate’s name tattooed on their wrist like a birthmark. Not everyone is thrilled about that, including Aveline Vallen. An Allison Hawke/Davyn Hawke twins AU tale.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Birthmarks: Aveline and Donnic

**Author's Note:**

> Davyn Hawke belongs to maedaeme.
> 
> Prompt originally from [here](http://princessrps.co.vu/post/83379573297/au-everyone-is-born-with-their-soulmates-name).

“I see how you look at him.”

Aveline knew Allison was going to broach that subject sooner or later. _I suppose it had been too much to hope for it to be later._ She crossed her arms and gave Allison her sternest guard-captain face. “Not now, Hawke. I have reports to complete for the viscount.”

“If not now, when?” Allison sat on the edge of Aveline’s desk, bending the corners of several documents as she did so. “It’s been three years already.”

Aveline pulled the damaged papers out from under Allison’s butt and tried her best to smooth them. “Four years,” she corrected her, barely managing to keep the tinge of annoyance out of her voice. _Wesley’s been gone four years next month._ Allison knew that. It had been as long for Bethany.

“Three years since you met Donnic.” Allison leaned toward her, the movement punctuated by the sound of more papers crinkling. “You can’t just go on pretending that he’s not your soulmate.”

Self-consciously, Aveline turned her right hand away so that Allison couldn’t see the name written there. “Who’s to say that he is? A bit of writing? The Maker? You?” She narrowed her eyes at Allison, who glanced helplessly at her assigned love, the Prince of Starkhaven. Or was he humble Chantry Brother Sebastian Vael this week? “I made my own choice a long time ago.”

“And you’re so stubborn that you won’t let yourself choose again?” Aveline glared down at Allison until the shorter woman bit her lip and fell silent.

Sebastian’s calm, even tone broke the staring match. “I tried to follow my own path when I was a boy. I hated having my life laid out for me.” Out of the corner of her eye, Aveline saw Allison turn red and stare at the floor, as she always did when Sebastian mentioned his wild days as a youth. “It wasn’t until my parents sent me to the Chantry that I learned that the path the Maker set before me wasn’t so terrible after all.”

“Not all of us are so certain in our faith.” Aveline had managed to avoid this conversation with Wesley. She did not intend to have it with Sebastian.

“And that’s the problem, isn’t it? You need to have faith in something, whether it’s the Maker or some other higher power.” Aveline opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off, his eyes boring intensely into hers. “Allison never wavered from her path. Her faith is even stronger than mine and she doesn’t believe in the Maker.”

“I’m not Allison,” Aveline reminded the prince curtly. And a good thing too. Tears were welling up in Allison’s eyes. _How very exhausting it must be to cry over every single emotion all the time._

“No, you’re not,” Sebastian agreed. “So if nothing else, you need to have faith in yourself.”

“Even if you don’t believe in soulmates, at least listen to what your heart’s telling you,” Allison added, having somehow managed not to let her tears fall. “Just consider talking to him, okay?”

Aveline sighed. “Fine. I’ll consider it. Now get out of here so I can get some work done.”

Allison let out a jubilant cry and hugged her, their armor screeching together and sending a chill up her spine. Sebastian chuckled and gently steered the excitable mage to the door. Aveline followed after them, shaking her head. Some days she swore Allison was worse behaved than Isabela in her own way.

Aveline had the door half-closed when she saw Davyn, Allison’s giant of a brother, shuffle out of one of the rooms deeper in the barracks. Close behind him were Fenris and…Guardsman Donnic. This had all been a setup. Aveline sighed inwardly. _You Hawkes just can’t leave anything alone, can you?_

She frowned as Donnic headed toward her. What had they told him? Something that would offend him enough to file a complaint? As a Ferelden, Aveline already had enough trouble holding her position as guard-captain. She didn’t need her friends turning her men on her. She would have to nip this problem in the bud – even if it did mean talking to Donnic about personal matters. Aveline made a point of keeping her private life hidden from all of the guard, especially from Donnic.

She was going to bodily injure Allison when this was all over.

Donnic nodded to her as he reached her door. “Guard-Captain.”

“Guardsman.” Aveline braced herself. “Could I –“

“We should –“

They both fell silent. Aveline tried again. “Could I speak to you in my office, Donnic?”

“Of course. That’s why I’m here.”

Aveline’s stomach twisted into a knot. This was going to take a _lot_ of convincing. She threw a dirty look at Allison as she shut her office door. Allison didn’t even have the decency to look ashamed of herself. Instead, she offered Aveline an encouraging smile. Swallowing a sound of disgust, the captain of the guard closed the door a bit harder than was strictly necessary.

Aveline took a deep breath and swallowed what was left of her pride. “Whatever Hawke and Fenris said to you, I’m sorry.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry for.”

“There isn’t?” She found that difficult to believe.

“They only said I should tell you how I feel.” Donnic’s eyes never left hers. “And I quite agree. Even if your name wasn’t written on my wrist, I would feel the same way about you.”

Aveline’s innards shifted uncomfortably. “You can’t know that.”

“But I do. You’re a wonderful captain of the guard. You drove out the corruption within our ranks and you saved my life three years ago. I’ll always be grateful for that.”

Aveline remembered that night in Lowtown clearly. The old guard-captain – Jeven, that scum – had sent Donnic on a suicide mission. He hadn’t counted on Aveline and her friends turning up, foiling his plans, and ousting him from the guard. That was the first time she’d really talked to Donnic. It was also the last. She had avoided him whenever possible since then, passing orders to him indirectly.

“I’m glad we got there in time.”

“I will be honest. My admiration for you is not the full extent of it. You’re the person I would have loved whether your name was written on my wrist or not.” Donnic’s gaze held her and Aveline found herself unable to look away from his sincere brown eyes. A tingle of nervous energy crept through her back, then through the rest of her body. “I understand if you don’t feel the same way. I will not come between you and the memory of Wesley.”

And there it was, out in the open after three years. She had always known how he felt. Not in this sort of detail, of course. Aveline was surprised he understood about Wesley. Many people took the name on their wrist as a binding contract and they held their partner to it, even for actions taken before their meeting. Wesley was a good man, but so was Donnic. She did know that much about him, even before now. She had seen it in his commitment to his work. Perhaps she really hadn’t given him a chance.

“I can’t say that I feel the same way right now.” Donnic couldn’t keep the disappointed resignation off his face. “But I also can’t say that I’m against seeing where this goes. No promises,” she added quickly as a smile flashed across his face.

“I have no expectations, Gua – Aveline.” He asked with his eyes to remove her gauntlet. She nodded, allowing him to kiss her hand. Aveline smiled. She did so hate it when she was wrong – but she’d make an exception this time.


End file.
